French Fries Venders Coming To Australia

PERTH, Australia -- Australians hankering for French fries will be able to get them from vending machines expected to pop up across the country by the end of the year. Perth-based Hot Chips Co. said it spent more than five years perfecting the vending machines in partnership with Australian potato processing company Bendoitti Exporters.

The machines hold the potatoes in a frozen compartment, drop them into a deep fryer and dispense a cupful, hot and crisp, within two and a half minutes. The developers of the machine say they are working to get that time down to at least two minutes.

The company told local news sources that it planned to manufacture 200 of the machines by the end of the year, with production increasing to 1,000 machines in 2016 and 5,000 in 2017. It's also planning to expand distribution to the international market.

In the U.S., there were several failed attempts to launch French fry vending machines about a decade or more ago. More recently, a French fry vender was introduced in Belgium. Manufactured by China's Beyondte Technology, the "Belgium fries" machine reportedly made a short-lived appearance in only one location.